The documents, which were produced by the Community Water and Sanitation Agency (CWSA), include the National Community Water and Sanitation Strategy (NCWSS), the Project Implementation Manual (PIM), the District Operational Manual (DOM) and the Framework for Assessing and Monitoring of Services of Facilities (FAMSF).
The NCWSS, defines the objectives of the water and sanitation sub-sector, clarifies institutional roles and responsibilities and provides a framework for Operationalizing the National Community Water and Sanitation Programme (NCWSP).
The PIM, on the other hand, would help in consolidating lessons and methodologies learnt over the years, to serve as a guide for project implementation and build strong partnership across all key stakeholders, and prescribe standards and guidelines for potable water supply and provision of related sanitation services among others.
The DOM would provide practical steps for the implementation of water and sanitation programmes and simplify specific roles and responsibilities of stakeholders at every stage of implementation, contribute to building planning capacity at District Assembly levels, thereby empowering them to take control and ownership of project activities.
The FAMSF would serve as the main framework to track functionality of WASH systems and also the performance of service providers.
Alhaji Dauda, in an address, said the publications marked another milestone in the nations effort to bring safe water and improved sanitation and hygiene services to rural communities and small towns.
According to him the water and sanitation sector is made up of multiple stakeholders and the implementation or water and sanitation activities has largely assumed a project-based approach, rather than being considered part of a larger harmonised programme for development.
This, he said, had resulted in a steady demand for improved coordination in Ghanas water sector, since stakeholders, including development partners and Non-governmental Organisations operating in the sub-sector have done so with a variety of approaches.
This has resulted in a multiplicity of processes and procedures leading to the overstretching the demand on CWSA and district Assemblies to facilitate the various actors.
Alhaji Dauda said that documents would therefore provide an environment that ensures a harmonised approach to providing water and sanitation services by donors and NGOs in the country.
He said it was hoped that document would bring about the needed change in the sector to the benefit of rural and small town dwellers in Ghana and urged all sector players to use them and provide feed backs for future improvement on subsequent versions.
Mr Clement Bugase, Chief Executive of the Community Water and Sanitation Agency, said the Agency, has since its inception provided the anchor for the provision of rural water and sanitation facilities in the country with support from stakeholders.
In the process several operational and technical documents have been developed to harmonise and streamline the implementation of the National Community Water and Sanitation Programme, he said.
He also announced that all existing operational documents have been revised and new ones developed, taking into consideration emerging issues based on lessons learnt and changes in global trends for the provision of water and sanitation services.
Mr Bugase said the publication of these documents would also contribute to quality delivery of facilities, enhance the process that would even ensure adequate planning, monitoring and sustainability of water and sanitation interventions at all levels.
He thanked all stakeholders for their diverse contributions and input into the various documents.
Source: GNA